They are there to provide the kind of crash avoidance systems normally reserved for more expensive cars and they are part of a sales pitch that says Holden can compete with the rest of the world in cutting edge technology.

Managing Director Mike Devereux says the new model is the most technologically advanced car the country has produced.

New Holden Commodore VF

"This is a world class car that shows Australia what we actually can accomplish in this country. There are no excuses to be made for anything missing in this car in the way that maybe people would have criticised Australian cars in the past.

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"There's never been a car made in this country that is as technologically sophisticated as this car. It's going to sell from San Francisco to Sydney, from Miami to Melbourne, and it's going to play on both sides of the Pacific in the major leagues and I say 'game on'," he says.

The technological highlights for the new VF Commodore include forward collision warning, bind spot monitors and lane departure warning – features that will be offered on some models. There's also rear traffic alert that warns of vehicles passing as a driver reverses out of parking spaces and driveways.

Elsewhere in the cabin the technological bent continues, with a jet-fighter style head-up display and an eight-inch touchscreen that integrates mobile phone app readouts such as Pandora into the digital display.

The head-up display can be customised to display different screens, including sat-nav turn directions and rev and g-force counters. It can also be dimmed and adjusted for height.

Every Commodore will also be able to park itself in both parallel and nose-to-kerb spots and will be fitted with a reversing camera as standard.

To match the on board gadgetry, there's a more upmarket feel in the cabin, with higher quality materials in the doors and on the dash. Imitation suede and real leather replaces hard plastic in the top of the line Calais. Ambient blue lighting adds to the upmarket feel at night.

The clunky conventional handbrake is gone, replaced by an electronic unit that frees up space in the centre console, while keyless entry and a stop-start button mean you can start the car with the key in your pocket. Seat warmers are another nod to prestige cars.

Holden resisted the temptation to install a selector knob on the centre console to scroll through on-screen menus, as is common on European luxury cars, preferring to stick to buttons and touch-screen controls.

Design manager, interior, Joe Rudolph, said the selector knob was considered, but the design team opted for buttons.

"It doesn't have the wow of the aluminum knob but it's simpler and easier to use with buttons that are often replicated on the touchscreen," he says.

Devereux says the upmarket, technology-led approach recognises the fact that Commodore would be sold as a high-end Chevrolet in the United States.

He says the brief was to design a car that "challenged some of the broader perceptions people have about the traditional Australian-made car."

These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinion only of visitors who have chosen to participate.

10 comments so far

Well it's about time! The most encouraging comment I can make is that I will consider buying one of these, which would never have happened with the previous models.

Commenter

The Road Runner

Location

NSW

Date and time

February 10, 2013, 11:53AM

I have owned a VE Commodore and liked it for its no nonsense styling, good handling for a big car, easy power, and (yes I'm saying it) reliability.This looks like a Chrysler Sebring (circa 2007) - US centric boring piece of crap. The interior look OK - although it looks qiute fussy like a holden Cruze - for the iphone gen - wrong demographic I'm afraid. Also I imagine since they aren't showing anything other than the Calais V the other models look even worse.This is a catch-up car not a Global competitor - and by the way the VF NASCAR looked like something from the 90s.Dwindling budgets aside, there's no excuse for making a clone of a 2007 Chrysler FAIL!

Commenter

VFUGLY

Location

Sudney

Date and time

February 10, 2013, 12:15PM

It's so delightful to watch the Fairfax boys squirm as they try to write a positive article about AU-made cars.

The Commodore is still a top 10 seller no matter what you Fairfax gents say.

Commenter

jg

Location

Canberra

Date and time

February 10, 2013, 1:56PM

No jgthe Fairfax people actually get out a bit and see what the world has to offer.It is from this perspective that they discuss automobiles and why they see the offerings from holden as dismal and behind the pack.Top 10 seller?A little fleet buying might help those numbers.Another fugly ,tacky ,gimmick laden offering from holden in my book.

Commenter

nkelly

Location

Date and time

February 15, 2013, 1:16AM

I have alway bought European or Japanese. I would definitely consider this car. Fantastic looking car and locally produced as well, what not to love.

Commenter

ian2222

Location

bondi

Date and time

February 10, 2013, 7:22PM

Wow, I'm impressed! Holden is showing Toyota how it's done, in terms of creating a good looking car both inside and out. The new Commodore makes an Aurion look 20 years old. You've heard it from me folks - if you want a large car, go for the new Holden

Commenter

President Akuma

Location

Australasia

Date and time

February 11, 2013, 8:19AM

I would go for a wagon of this, but shall we place bets on the cost of getting the model with 1/2 of the stuff mentioned here?

Commenter

Koolerking

Location

Date and time

February 11, 2013, 9:33AM

Actually it would appear SAAB showed GM how to do it all, this is prity much the last 95 SAAB 2011 heads up display, lights most other things appear very similar

Commenter

petcol

Location

Nudgee

Date and time

February 13, 2013, 6:55PM

It's not a groundbreaking vehicle nor is it in any way revolutionary so umm, why plug it so often?Maybe an article on the availability of hydrogen fuel bowsers in Aus is required as opposed to pushing choking death.

Recall that when the film avatar was made, cinemas jumped to upgrade their projection equipment in order to show the much LAUDED film.

But the filthy oil industry has it's hooks into us and will never allow for hydrogen storage or bowsers. And why would oil companies adapt/evolve when journalists bang on about how great fossil fuels are?

----------------------I watched a couple of 12 year olds in their backyard make hydrogen a few years ago with leads from a car battery attached to a balloon that had water in it. They had seen it on mythbusters and did it before we had a barbecue- it's not brain surgery and they could have used solar instead of a car battery. Yet all I read here is excuses and sly adverts for the petrol/diesel industry.

commiewhore- it's lipstick on a pig.

Commenter

Alex

Location

Finley

Date and time

February 15, 2013, 10:16AM

"The most technologically advanced car the country has ever produced" - that's good to know, I'd hate to think we were going backwards :o).I do like the idea of the heads-up display, although as has been mentioned, it's not exactly new technology! The Nissan Bluebird had HUD in the mid-90s and didn't exactly set the world on fire, although satnav wasn't common then - definitely a plus having the directions in front of the driver so he/she doesn't have to take their eyes off the road.I think I can live without a g-force counter ... and why does anyone need park assist for nose-to-kerb??? Parallel OK, but anyone who can't park nose-to-kerb without the help of a computer needs to hand in their licence!